POULSBO -- North Kitsap boys basketball coach Scott Orness did the rise-and-shine scenario at the Class 2A state tournament last season, when his Vikings played four games that started at 9 a.m. or earlier.

Orness prefers the alternative that doesn't involve crawling out of bed before sunrise.

"I'm not much of a morning guy unless I'm fishing," Orness said.

It's going to be purple and gold early and purple and gold late on Wednesday, when North Kitsap's basketball teams open play at the Class 2A state tournament at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

Playing in the state tournament for the first time in 30 years, North Kitsap's girls (20-6) tip off in the 9 a.m. game against Burlington-Edison (18-6). The Vikings beat Renton 52-42 in regional play Saturday.

North Kitsap's boys (21-4) finish off the first day with a 9 p.m. game against W.F. West of Chehalis (22-4). The Vikings are coming off a 68-50 regional win against Cheney.

Both Wednesday games are loser-out. Wins would put the Vikings into the double-elimination portion of the tournament.

The last time North Kitsap girls coach Penny Gienger coached in an Egg McMuffin game was in 2008 with Bainbridge. In the first round of the 3A tournament, the Spartans faced Auburn-Riverside at the University of Washington's Hec Edmundson Pavilion and lost by a tournament-record 57 points. Auburn-Riverside went on to win the state title that year.

North Kitsap girls basketball coach Penny Gienger led the Vikings to a 21-8 record.(Photo: Chris Barron / Special to the Kitsap Sun)

Gienger doesn't have much room in her memory bank for that decade-old defeat.

"That was a long time ago," said Gienger, the Vikings' coach the past four seasons.

Asked how she felt about her team drawing the early game on Wednesday, Gienger opted to look at the positives.

"Hey, we don't have to stress all day," said Gienger, who coached Kingston to the 2A state tournament in 2010. "We get in there, we play the game, we're done. We take showers, we eat whatever we want, we watch the boys, we have some fun."

Junior Raelee Moore leads North Kitsap's girls in scoring with 13 points per game. She also averages six rebounds per contest. Senior Olivia Selembo averages 12 points and three assists per game. Both Moore and Selembo earned All-Olympic League 2A first-team honors.

North Kitsap's boys insist it wasn't much fun playing in the morning last year considering teams typically play games at 7 p.m. during the regular season.

"I'll take the 9 p.m. any day," Orness said. "Last year, we got up at 5 a.m., had a little breakfast, went to Yakima (Valley College), did an hour (practice). We'd been up for four hours before tipoff."

"It'll be nice to have that later game," senior guard Zac Olmsted said. "We can chill out and sleep in a bit."

North Kitsap's Zac Olmsted finished with 24 points against Cheney.(Photo: Chris Barron / Special to the Kitsap Sun)

In his third season coaching the Vikings, Orness believes his team could be a contender for a title after going 2-2 and placing sixth in Yakima last season.

"Last year, we got there, it was a big deal," Orness said. "I think we see ourselves this year as a potential candidate. ... I think we can beat anybody."

Leading the Vikings is Olmsted, the Olympic League 2A most valuable player and the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association 2A player of the year. He is averaging 21 points in the playoffs after totaling 14 points per game during the regular season.

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North Kitsap's Olivia Selembo shakes a noise maker from the back seat of an SUV as she and her Vikings teammates prepare to depart for the state tournament in Yakima on Tuesday.(Photo: MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN)

For the Vikings to make a serious run at reaching the title game at state, Olmsted will need to lead the way. Orness believes his senior point guard has proven he's up for the challenge.

"Zac is willing us to go anywhere," Orness said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if we get there because of Zac.”